Ava DuVernay, director

Women's Impact Report 2012: Creatives

DuVernay was the first African-American woman director to win the director prize at Sundance for her film, “Middle of Nowhere” this year. She is also one of the founders of the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM), dedicated to promoting and distributing indie African-American films at major film festivals across the country. AFFRM uses social media to spread the word about targeted films to a broader audience, spotlighting release dates in cities across the country.

Smartphone habits: “I can’t really enjoy my days off without knowing that all is well at the office. So I see my BlackBerry as a relaxation tool, if you will. It tells me that the world is still spinning without my attention and to take it easy. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

Life-work balance: “I don’t divide my life up into work and family. It’s all life, and I want to live a meaningful, happy one. My family and my work give me meaning and great happiness both. So I don’t beat myself up over the time I spend working, and neither do my loved ones. I love my family, I love my work, I love my personal time, I love my professional time. One doesn’t tug on the other. It’s all one thing. It’s my day and I try to live each one as well as I can.”